Publication: Horizons Report Population Council

Publication: Horizons Report Population Council http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/newsletter/horizons(14).html

Results of clinical trials in low resource settings which showed thatgiving a short course of antiretroviral therapy could prevent thetransmission of HIV from mother to child were hailed as an enormousbreakthrough in the fight against pediatric HIV infection. But soon after the establishment of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs, research conducted by Horizons and others revealed a multitude of service delivery and sociocultural barriers that limit the number of women who successfully access PMTCT programs and follow PMTCT recommendations. On the supply side, the limited capacity of health systems in many countries has resulted in weak links to HIV-related services and gaps in service provision and follow-up of HIV-positive mothers and their babies. The latest issue of the Horizons Report, PMTCT, examines strategies to strengthen PMTCT programs, which include training HIV-positive women to provide psychosocial support to mothers; reaching women with information, support, and referrals through community-based activities; and creating stronger linkages during the postnatal period between mothers and treatment and care.

In this issue:
Strengthening PMTCT Programs Studies explore strategies to promote adherence and follow-up care From Mother to Mother A peer mentor program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in South Africa offers much needed support Closer to Home Community-based activities complement PMTCT programs in Kenya Repositioning Postnatal Care Baseline results from Swaziland, a high HIV prevalence environment

Studies in Brief:
India: Are PPTCT programs an entry point to other HIV and reproductivehealth services?
Newsletter:http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/newsletter/horizons(14).html

Related Publications: Key Findings from an Evaluation of themothers2mothers Program in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africahttp://www.popcouncil.org/m2m

FinalReport Horizons is a global operations research initiativedesigned to:

1) identify and test strategies to improve HIV/AIDS prevention,treatment, and care programs; and
2) disseminate research findings and promote their utilization with the aim of replicating and scaling up successful interventions.

Horizons is implemented by the Population Council in partnership withthe International Center for Research on Women, the InternationalHIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University.

These studies and articles are made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The contents are theresponsibility of the Horizons Program and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Email: shutchinson@popcouncil.org